Local food producer to speak about Waterford’s rising food reputation!

As part of the Harvest Festival in September the Local Enterprise Office in Waterford will host its annual ‘Enterprising Food Lunch’ on Friday, September 11^th in Dooley’s Hotel.

The key note speaker at the lunch will be Dermot Walsh, co-owner of Walsh’s Bakehouse (formerly M&D Bakeries), a third generation family bakery. This lunch is a celebration of food in Waterford. With the assistance of Love Irish Food, diners will enjoy the best east and west Waterford has to offer.

One of the most famous offerings in the Walsh’s Bakehouse portfolio is the Waterford Blaa.  In 2013, the Waterford Blaa received the highest recognition as a quality European foodstuff – Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) status.  This prestigious designation meant that the Waterford Blaa could claim its place among the ranks of internationally renowned products such as Italy’s Parma Ham, France’s Camembert de Normandie Cheese and Greece’s Kalamata Olive Oil. 

Driven by the The Blaa Bakers Association, which consists of Walsh’s Bakehouse, Hickey’s Bakery, Barron’s Bakery and Kilmacow Bakery, the group, between them, produce over 100,000 blaas weekly.

Mr. Walsh added, “Since the awarding of PGI status, the blaa can be found throughout Ireland, the UK, France, the U.S. and now in the Middle East.  It’s been an exciting journey for the once humble Waterford foodstuff that can trace its origins back to the 1690’s.”

Richie Walsh, Head of Enterprise, LEO Waterford commented on the importance of the event, “The Enterprising Food Lunch has become a popular event during Waterford Harvest Festival and we are delighted to have such an inspirational speaker this year. This industry has grown exponentially throughout Waterford.  With its rich and fertile hinterlands and seas, and such an abundant trading heritage, Waterford has been fortunate to have a proliferation of quality food producers.  The Enterprising Food Lunch is important, to celebrate what we have, but also to inspire others to enter the food business.”

The lunch will also serve as the launch platform of the Harvest Festival.  Being the first event of the festival weekend it is a fitting and appropriate start to the festivities.

Waterford Harvest Festival Chair, Paul Nolan (Business Development Manager of Dawn Meats), “We are delighted to link up with the Local Enterprise Office for this Enterprising Food Lunch, the food industry has always been very strong in Waterford and I couldn’t think of a more fitting way to launch the Harvest Festival”.

Tickets (just €15) for this lunch can be purchased from the Customer Services Department, Bailey’s New Street, Waterford Tel 0761 10 20 20 (street at side of Reginald’s Tower) or Customer Services Dept. Civic Offices, Dungarvan, Co. Waterford Tel 058 22 00 0.

Early booking is advised.

The Local Enterprise Office offers support services for start-up and existing SME’s in Waterford City and County. For more information on food production assistance please contact your Local Enterprise Office at 32 the Mall.  Tel 0761 09 99 05 or email info@leo.waterfordcouncil.ie .  

From the Deise to Dubai!

It’s almost a year to the day since the Waterford Blaa received the highest recognition as a quality European foodstuff - PGI status.  This prestigious designation meant that the Waterford Blaa could claim its place among the ranks of internationally renowned products such as Italy’s Parma Ham, France’s Camembert de Normandie Cheese and Greece’s Kalamata Olive Oil. 

And claim it, it did!  The sky seems to be the limit for this once humble bread roll.  Following the appearance of the Waterford blaa on Aer Lingus menus on transatlantic flights, the blaa recently made its debut at the Bonnington Jumeirah Lakes Towers in Dubai.

This prestigious five star hotel now serves the blaa in its Cavendish Restaurant and McGettigan’s Irish pub.  Mr. Dermot Walsh of M & D Bakery, based in Mount Sion Avenue in Waterford City is delighted that the blaa is making an appearance on Middle Eastern menus.

“The interest in the blaa has mushroomed beyond all expectations.  To see the blaa on the menu of one of the Middle East’s most esteemed hotels is a hugely significant achievement and one that all Waterford blaa bakers can be very proud of.  The Bonnington Towers is the latest addition to the Regency Hotel Groups chain and the owners were intent on bringing a taste of Ireland to Dubai.  We had been speaking with the team in Dubai, through their distributors La Rousse Foods, for a few months and were delighted they chose to bring a taste of Waterford to their restaurants.”

“Back in 2009, M & D Bakery, along with three other traditional family bakeries from County Waterford and South Kilkenny set up the Waterford Blaa Bakers Association. It was our objective to protect the Waterford Blaas as a traditional food product and register it as a protected food product in Europe, which we achieved last year.”

The Blaa Bakers Association consists of M & D Bakery, Hickey’s Bakery, Barron’s Bakery and Kilmacow Bakery, who between them, produce over 100,000 blaas weekly.

Mr. Walsh added, “Since the awarding of PGI status, the blaa can be found throughout Ireland, the UK, France, the U.S. and now in the Middle East.  It’s been an exciting journey from the Deise to Dubai.”

The last year has also seen the blaa receive a host of awards and accolades, both nationally and internationally and it has featured in countless publications, blogs and journals, including the New York Times.

Speaking of the introduction of the Waterford blaa to Middle Eastern fayre, Mr. Michael Hussey, Manager of Bord Bia, Middle East said, “It is wonderful to see the blaa such a long way from home.  We have been working with the Blaa Bakers Association in order to bring this project to fruition.”

Mr. Hussey added, “There are huge opportunities in the Middle East. The market is growing by 5 to 6% year on year in food service due to the growth in tourism in UAE and other factors such as population and income growth in the entire region. However, growing the market is very competitive, so hotels, restaurants and other catering outlets are looking for points of difference to make them stand out from competitors and the Waterford Blaa offers this to discerning customers”.

The story of the Blaa goes back to the 1690’s, when the French Huguenots arrived in Ireland introducing white flour and their baking skills. Over 300 years later, it remains a firm stable, not just of the Waterford diet, but of thousands of Irish diaspora scattered throughout the world. 

Currently the Blaa Baker’s Association is working on a joint marketing initiative to raise awareness of the blaa’s esteemed PGI status and continues to explore new export markets for the now, not so humble blaa!